Hairy PVC

Hi,
So many flowers to highlight, there is not much room for gossip.
Still madly busy here, sales are bowling along and pressure is building with lots of next year's cutting and seedlings already sitting here demanding to be dealt with. There's plenty of tunnel clearing, pricking out and potting going on, even when the sunshine says it's time for an ice cream and a lie down.
Picked a good day yesterday to don my very fetching green PVC full body suit and wellies to replace a couple of worn out valves in the acid pump (for adjusting the ph of the irrigation water). Who needs to pay out for a spa and sauna when you have an irrigation system to keep running?
Both Phil, our main driver, and I are having a few 'days off' over the coming few weeks as we have to refresh our CPC lorry driver training. I can't believe it's been five years since the last lot. Phil does all our big van driving so he gets good use out of his card, but I only go out on rescue missions when he occasionally runs out of driving time and I suspect I have spent more time in training than I have behind the wheel. It's quite handy really as I can count this as my summer holiday, a change is as good as a rest.
Big week next week, as we go Hi-Fibre. We have a new router all ready to go, just need the expert man to fit it, then the only thing holding us up will be the driver of the keyboard but sadly we are unlikely to be able to upgrade him.

Availability highlights
Erigeron kerv. Stallone are looking good with lots of bud and the odd open flower too. We have been asked before if we could grow some Cosmos which we are having a go at. I have just a few of the larger Cosmos Chocolate and a reasonable number of the more compact and bushier Chocamocha. I have a feeling I can see buds forming on the Chocamocha but as I haven't grown this one before it may just be wishful thinking. Anyway both varieties have similar dark velvety flowers and the famous chocolate scent.
Summer seaside flowers abound, with Armeria maritima back on the list, bud showing on both the white and pink forms. Masses of bud on upright stems of Catananche caerulea . The occasional flower showing a flash of its papery sky blue petals. Our summer crop of Oxalis are up and running. Both are in bud and looking perky. Iron Cross has dramatic green and black foliage under deep pink flowers while triangularis is equally showy with its purple leaves under pretty pale pink flowers. Salvia Hot Lips is now in bud with the some flower open. The full red and white petal display is now showing. Another popular summer special are the Platycodon which are on available this week for the first time. A new variety to us is Twinkle Blue, it is slightly more compact than the Astra Blue and quicker into flower.
Mixed pastel coloured flowers of Lewisia Elise are showing well with plenty more bud to follow. This one flowers all summer. Rhodanthemum Casablanca and Marakesh are showing well with bushy grey foliage and lots of bud on show and the odd open daisy flower. They will go on all summer long, producing so many delightful blooms. Twinkly white flowers of our compact Calmintha Marvelette are beginning to open and looking great. Lots of fab Salvia nemerosa varieties now back on line with most in bud and showing flashes of colour. The new Marvel varieties hold much bolder flowers which I think are impressive, I will get more of these next year, I believe there are now three colours available for 2020 so that will be a treat.
Our range of Hemerocallis (Daylilies) are rushing into bud now. The darker colours of Crimson Pirate and Summer Wine are always popular but the jolly yellow of the repeat flowering Big Time Happy must be worth a look too! We have four short Campanula currently in bud. Carpatica White and Blue with their domed habit and large single cupped flowers are neat and chunky with masses of bud. Another is the prolific scrambler posharskyana with its smaller lilac blue bell flowers, and a new one for us Clockwise is another scrambler but neater growth habit and pretty violet-blue flowers. Viola Etain and Rebecca are doing their thing, plenty pretty buds and flowers all raring to go Dianthus Scent First varieties are back on line. Buds are thrusting through on all varieties and the first flowers opening. The warmer weather and opening flowers are adding to the delightful scent levels. We have gone to town on Scabiosa this season, Lots potted ready for summer flowering, Butterfly Blue and Mariposa Blue are budding up nicely now in good numbers, these beauties will keep flowering all summer. Summer must be here, the Gaura's are coming on line with early bud already in evidence. I have a few summer flowering plants trialling at the moment, with a range of Diasica's now all in full flower. They are promise to flower their heads off all summer long and they've got off to a great start. I haven't got many as it's just a taster. So if you fancy a few just tick the list. Sorry but the other trial plants have all gone, more next year!
Have a great week from all at Kirton Farm Nurseries.